As regular readers know, I recently walked the South Coast Track in southern Tasmania, one of the Australia’s last great wilderness walks.

I was lucky enough to acquire the domain name South Coast Track.com.au from the previous owner and will be setting about adding oodles of bushwalking information on the site that is specific for this great walk.

Over the next week or 2 we’ll be adding content to the site.

If you want to know how we make some of our money here at Tailored, you might like to keep your eyes on the South Coast Track site.

Jack Sinclair tackles the South Coast Track

Cheers

Brendon

Looking for some sort of motivation.

Don’t.

Just get on with it.  What are you waiting for?

Listen to Gabrielle.

Cheers

Brendon

If you’re looking at ways to make your web site content more accessible to people, Google has developed a pretty easy way to translate your content into different languages.

In a very simple 3 part process, you select:

1. Language your site is in
2. What specific language/or all languages you want your page content translated to
3. Copy and paste a bit of code into your site

You then get a neat little drop down on your site where people can translate the content.

Simple, easy and …….well, I’m not sure if it’s accurate, but I reckon it’s better than my terrible French!

I just added the tool in the left hand column of this site (down the bottom) – took me 30 seconds in total.

Get all the info here.

Cheers

Brendon

I just did a quick deal yesterday with a guy in Tasmania.

The deal, like almost all business deals, went like this:

• He had something of value I wanted – a domain name.
• I emailed him and asked if the domain name was for sale.
• He emailed back with “Yes, for X it is.”
• I emailed back a counter offer.
• He said ok.
• I sent him the money.
• He sent me the domain name transfer password.

Deal done.

Everything About You Brands You AND Impacts Your Business

I’ve often talked here about the importance of personal branding and how everything about you impacts on your brand.

At the end of doing the very simple deal with this guy (Mark), he finished off his email with

“I have to admit I was a bit nervous when I saw you were based on the Gold Coast ,.. but I reckon you would get used to that ..!!!”

You see, here in Australia the Gold Coast has a less than perfect reputation.

There’s a perception that drug dealers, pimps, conmen and more are the predominant types up here.

A Gold Coast Trader!

By association, in many people’s eyes, if you’re from the Gold Coast you’re probably a bit dodgy.

So that made this deal less likely than usual to go through.

What Every Deal Must Have

Every business contract relies on one very significant element.

That element: Goodwill.

There was a simple example with this business deal.

When Mark accepted my offer I immediately sent him the money and said “Shoot through the password when the money comes through.”

That’s a nice sign of goodwill on my part.

Sure, there’s a risk on my part that Mark wouldn’t send the password through, but the alternative of coordinating handover of the domain at the same time as the money would be a complete pain and take more time than it’s worth to me.

Sure, you have to protect yourself, but you can’t assume that everyone’s going to rip you off.

It was a nice and easy transaction with Mark, with lots of goodwill on both sides.

That is the basis of an excellent deal.

Thanks Mark.

Cheers

Brendon

As you know, I’m a romantic.

How romantic is this wedding invitation?!

Last night my lovely 18 yo daughter said to her 15 yo brother Harry: “Harry, would you like a job?”

Harry, being stupid and 15, assumed he was about to be asked to clean dishes, mow a lawn or some other such injustice and immediately replied with: “Not interested.”

Then he thought for a few seconds and asked “What’s the job?”

The “job” he was being asked to do was one that immediately had him excitedly saying “Yes!” to.

Informed Decisions Need Information

It’s a great business lesson really – always make sure you know exactly what the offer is before you make a decision.

• Maybe the unsolicited telephone call can save you money.
• Maybe that guy door knocking is really selling something of value.
• Maybe that email offer is for real.

You can only make informed decisions when you’re informed.

Want to know what Laura’s job was that had Harry in a lather of excitement?

Cupcakes And More Cupcakes

Laura had just bought the book 500 Cupcakes and Harry’s job was to pick out his favourite 3 and she’d make them for him.

Now that’s a good job for a 15 yo boy.

Cheers

Brendon

The secret of marketing is simple.

Do something.

Something.  Anything.

Anytime.  Anywhere.

But something.

Leaflet drop.  Publicity stunt.  Sponsor an event.  I don’t care.

Just do something.

See if it works.

If it does, do it again.  (And do something else as well.)

If it doesn’t work, do something else.

And that is marketing.

Cheers

Brendon

I took a call yesterday from a Web Developer who does a little bit of search engine optimisation work.

I’ve done a tiny bit of work for this guy before with some excellent results.

C'mon, hand over the cash

Anyway, he called up because he has 2 sites he’s trying to get high ranks in Google for.

Whatever he has tried hasn’t worked and the sites both languish down in position 90+ – so no-one ever finds them.

I looked at both sites, figured out what the problems were and told him the very quick and easy things he needs to do to get both sites ranking high in a matter of days and at #1 in a matter of weeks.

It took me 60 seconds to figure out what was the problem with both sites.

The Web Developer asked me what I would charge for helping him in the future.

$1,000 for 60 Seconds Work

“Well,” I said, “I’d charge a client $1,000 for figuring out what I just told you.”

He laughed.

He didn’t think I was serious.

“Truly.  The information I’ve just given you has the capacity to make your clients an extra $1 million each a year.

Being # 1 in Google will result in lots more visitors and lots more sales.  (His clients sell products for $100,000 and more.),” I said.

Knowledge = Value

It’s intellectual property that has taken me many years and many thousands of dollars to get.  Not many people have that knowledge.

Knowledge = value.  In this case, huge value.

It’s never about the price.  It’s always about the value.

If I charged him by the hour I’d make $5, whilst his client makes $1 million.

And I’d be what is widely called a “complete idiot”.

Cheers

Brendon